Essays
The Hard Truth: How Dialogue Can Resolve Conflict
Internal conflicts are one thing, but how do we handle conflict with others when it challenges our values and beliefs or hinders our personal growth? What if the circumstances are such that we can’t avoid addressing an issue that prevents us from making measurable progress or remaining loyal to our principles?
Discipline consistently applied
Discipline is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot without much explanation. People tend to think of discipline as something you either have or don't have, but in reality, it's more about how you approach your work than anything else. Discipline is a key ingredient to success in any area of life. To succeed, you must commit to your goals and do whatever it takes—even when no one is watching—to achieve them.
Facing the dragon
In author and philosopher Joseph Campbell's “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” a dragon represents the most fearsome and challenging obstacle a person can face. Metaphorically speaking, dragons represent our internal struggles with fear or greed, sitting atop a fragile ego. However, as Campbell writes, facing our dragon is vital to achieving the boon, i.e., experience, that follows. The same experience we take and leverage during the next challenge.
Think like a beginner.
Picture yourself sitting on a comfortable couch, focused on a child attempting to take their first steps. You’re doing nothing more than observing what’s going on, not participating in the effort. The child can pull themselves up to a standing position, but their ability to balance, shift their weight, and take steps is slightly beyond their capacity. Nonetheless, they continue to try, fall, pull themselves up, and try again.
Don’t quit.
The visions and designs for our future routinely occur in a comfortable place, when we’re well rested and most, if not all, of our needs are met. We’re content with where we are but feel that there’s more to do and accomplish. A spark of motivation and self-confidence to become a better version of ourselves or experience more of what life offers.
Fail forward.
One of the purposes of these essays is to convey universal thoughts and ideas. Truisms that, if applied to life, would reap benefits or limit the possibility of disappointment and failure. Which brings up the idea of failure as a consequence of action. There’s no guarantee that you’ll be successful at anything. If success were guaranteed, you would feel less, if any, accomplishment or gratitude for the effort.
Do challenging things.
Life is easy. We live in the safest, most abundant, and most opportunity-filled existence in the history of humanity. It was a daily grind not long ago to find food, avoid a violent encounter with a wild animal or person, and stay protected in the harsh elements. Almost none of that exists today. Life has become an exercise in appearance, perception, and making choices that will make it even easier, if possible. This is a path that leads to nowhere.